
December 11, 2017

More of those killing old Speysiders

There’s more of them, especially some 1973s. I doubt we’ll need any numbers beneath 90 today… But first, a younger apéritif…

Breath of Speyside 10 yo 2006/2017 (58.5%, Adelphi, 536 bottles)

Adelphi have had some marvellous malts in this series… Colour: gold. Nose: yep! Fresh apricots, then chocolate, raisins, treacle toffee, Guinness, walnut cake, tobacco, malt extract, a bit of Spanish ham… All is fine here. With water: marmalade and ham, then smoked figs. Walnut wine. Mouth (neat): excellent. Marmalade, raisins, marzipan, walnut cake, malt, molasses, kougelhopf… Why need more? With water: raisins, earl grey, bergamots, a wee grassy side. Finish: long, round, fruity. Raisins and marmalade. Comments: no flaws whatsoever here, this is a very fine Christmassy Speysider. SGP:551 - 87 points.

So, the older ones…

Speyside 37 yo 1977/2015 (46.8%, The Whisky Agency for Art Taiwan and Club Qing World Bar Tour, sherry, 228 bottles)

Colour: amber. Nose: yeah yeah yeah. Figs, dates, honey, nectar, maple syrup, dried bananas, pollen, sultanas, vanilla fudge, crystallised mandarins, caramelised peanuts, pecan pie, butterscotch… Well, all that sexy jazz. Not much to add, this is unstoppable. Mouth: a wee grittiness (tea tannins) in the arrival, but a perfect development on old Sauternes, apricot jam, quince jelly, honeys, sultanas, candied kumquats (when the Dutch leaves us enough), orange cake, late harvest Pinot Gris, and even yes, hints of botrytis. Indeed the mind sometimes works in strange manners. Finish: medium, perfect, jammy, honeyed, cake-y. Nothing to add. Comments: only the 1973s could be even better in my book. Fantastic. SGP:661 - 91 points.

Speaking of the 1973s…

Speyside 44 yo 1973/2017 (48.8%, Maltbarn for Shinanoya, Japan, sherry, 249 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: it’s this lightness that is fantastic, as I find it quite feminine (hope no one will call me a sexist). Superlative honeys and wee fruits, bergamots, figs, roasted peanuts, cashews, pollen… Then tiny herbs, mint leaves, lemongrass, lemon balm… This is just so utterly perfect! Mouth: amazing, and as Mouton used to say before they became a 1st Cru, second to none. Indeed, a wine-whisky, in the same league as Yquem, the best liqueury Austrians, or the best late harvest/ selection de grains nobles Alsatians. Yep, the ones we make here. Love this relative lightness. Finish: medium, superb. High-end raisins, apricots, a muscaty touch, and the best small figs in the world. Probably Turkish. Comments: as I wrote last time, hope there’s more of these. Not that I may not write that again next time, mind you. SGP:651 - 92 points.

Speyside 44 yo 1973/2017 (50.5%, Maltbarn for Double Whisky, Ukraine, sherry, 298 bottles)

Double whisky? That’s in true Ukrainian fashion! Colour: gold. Nose: this one’s shier, more reserved at first nosing, but after just ten seconds, you’re finding pretty much the same superb beehive-y aromas, perhaps with a little more flowers, dandelions, nectar… But other than that, we’ve got the seam superb development, on honeys, dried fruits, sultanas, and roasted nuts. Nice hints of copper/old coins in the background, but that totally anecdotal. With water: old sweet wine! I’m thinking Loire this time. Layon… Mouth (neat): a wee tad rougher, perhaps a little wine-y, but totally perfect, on jams and honeys. Pecan pie, Banyuls, lighter fudge, oranges… With water: this is almost mead now. The finest mead ever. Finish: medium, honeyed, with sultanas, apricots… Comments: quite glorious, as expected. Bud’mo! SGP:661 - 91 points.

… Which reminds me that we’ll soon have to do a large Glenfarclas session. Stay tuned…

Check the index of all undisclosed malts I've tasted so far